Having dealt with the Drekavac Fledglings, Ezra started looking for the missing children. But all he found were old, rotting corpses that had been buried here many months ago. The Drekavacs had dug up some of the more recent mounds and pulled out the villagers whose bodies had not fully decomposed yet. However, there was no sign of any fresh kill. “Are you sure these creatures wanted to feed on the children?” Marlin asked. “What do you mean?” Ezra asked. “What else would they need the children for?” “Well, necrophages are known to feed on dead, decaying corpses. They usually do not like attacking the living,” Marlin replied. “These ones are different,” Ezra answered as he continued to look around the headstones. “Drekavacs like preying on the weak and helpless. They like feeding on the soft flesh of infants.” Ezra searched the whole graveyard for the children, but he could not find any clues that would lead him in the right direction. Suddenly, something clicked in Ezra’s head.
While Ezra was busy dealing with the Drekavacs at the graveyard, Aurelia had made her way to the abandoned well. Many decades ago, when the people of Ashgrove used to worship the pagan Gods, the village elders had decreed that this well would serve as the perfect conduit to return the ruined gifts to the primal God of Death, Xerador. And so began the practice of dumping the stillborns inside the well and pouring tar over their bodies to signify their reunion with the darkness of death. All the unfortunate infants who had been dumped into this well had never received a proper burial, and the elders at that time had forbidden the villagers from performing their last rites. The dark days had finally come to an end with Ishani’s Priests converting the villagers to a higher faith and abolishing the malpractices. But even after all these years, the well remained intact as a grim reminder of the cruel past. Aurelia’s feet trembled as she neared the well. Crude, handmade dolls with butto
The Primal Drekavac pulled its lips back and bared its fangs at Aurelia, hoping to intimidate her, but she remained unmoved. Locking her eyes on her target, she fired her weapon. Bang! The golden orb decimated the Drekavac Fledglings within the frontal cone of Aurelia’s vision, but the Primal Drekavac survived, sustaining minor second-degree burns. “It looks like you are quite well-fed, big boy,” Aurelia smiled and holstered her gun. Before she could replenish her magic power, the Drekavacs standing around pounced upon her. Their razor-sharp claws were about to rip her open when she touched her rose-shaped pendant. Aurelia’s Spectral Companion materialized with a burst of white light, cocooning her inside a divine magic barrier. The Drekavacs, which had dared to pounce upon her, were vaporized in an instant, and the light emitted by the magic shell pushed the others back, dazzling their eyes. Blinded by the intense radiance, even the Primal Drekavac had no choice but to slowly b
The villagers moved like a collective horde, their eyes staring blankly into the emptiness and their faces cold and expressionless. “The Lord of Decay will offer us salvation.” “The King of Death will lead us into his light.” “All things must perish and return to his fold.” Holding flaming torches and pitchforks in their hands, the villagers moved while chanting praises of Zepheroth. Aurelia pulled Ezra by his hand and urged him to get a move on. “What is going on here?” Ezra felt as if he was living a nightmare. Everything felt too surreal, and nothing made sense. “They were all okay just a few minutes ago. We can’t leave them like this.” “This isn’t in our hands anymore. Only Ishani’s priests can help them now,” Aurelia said, firing a blank shot in the air. The villagers, however, did not even flinch. It became clear that they were no longer in their senses. Leaving them to their fate, Aurelia and Ezra mounted their horses and returned to Aranor. “It is best if we don’t m
The town of Aranor sprang into life with the first rays of the morning sun as the priests from the shrine of Ishani blew the sacred conch shell to signal the start of the festivities on the first day of Ishtara. Traveling merchants, traders, and sellers of various baubles and knickknacks set up their shops and stalls in the middle of the town square, displaying bright signs and posters to advertise their products. The whole town donned festive colors with brightly colored dahlias and tulips decorating the cottages and huts. Children played in the streets while women flocked to the shrine to offer their prayers to the Goddess. The open field behind the shrine of Ishani was transformed into a fairground with jugglers, magicians, and fire breathers setting up shop in designated locations. Meanwhile, the bards and mimes performed on stage, inviting both humans and non-humans alike to enjoy their show. Following in the footsteps of ancient familial tradition, Lord Sebastian went down to
Count Gressil arrived in a black carriage drawn by four purebred Dravarian Stallions with fiery red manes and glossy brown coats. His carriage was accompanied by a four-door stagecoach that carried his elite knights. As the Count dismounted from his carriage, his attendant ran up to place a stool under his foot and lay a silk carpet down on the path before him. His principal advisor, a surly-looking man wearing a pair of round-rimmed spectacles and a brown leather jacket whispered something in his ear while maintaining a peerless smile. Count Gressil was a well-built man with a square face and wavy black hair which skirted his shoulders. He was dressed in a black cloak with a thick furry collar and a gray leather jacket. Unlike his elite guards who were armed with blunderbuss rifles, Count Gressil chose to carry a modified black six-shot revolver on his hip and a curved dagger at his waist. The residents of Aranor flocked to catch a glimpse of the Count, but the town guards forme
What followed next was a whole minute of tense silence as this familial rivalry threatened to spiral out of control. Aurelia was furious to hear their conversation. She could no longer stand and watch her brother being insulted and ridiculed by the two rival families. “You forget that Cecilia is already betrothed to Ezra. What kind of mother would allow her own daughter to be a part of such a wager?” Aurelia asked, glaring at Lady Lillian. “I thought I had made it amply clear that my daughter was no longer interested in your crippled brother. But it seems like you want me to air out our private affairs in front of everyone,” Lady Lillian sneered. She then turned to Count Gressil and continued, “We are an honorable family, Your Excellency, but that does not mean I will ruin my daughter’s future with my own hands. As her mother, I must always keep her best interests in mind.” “I understand completely, my Lady,” Count Gressil replied reassuringly. Aurelia could not believe how the C
The High Priest realized something was wrong with Ramel, and it made him uneasy. “Are you alright, Lord Ramel? Nervous about the ritual?” he asked. Ramel’s face darkened as his eyes flashed in the dark. “I wish to be alone with the Goddess. Do you think perhaps you could wait outside?” he enquired, turning to face the priest while holding the dagger in his right hand. The High Priest felt a little uneasy about honoring this strange request, but since the Romanovs had always been generous toward Ishani’s devotees and helped build this shrine, he could not refuse. “Alright, Lord Ramel. I shall leave you alone with the Goddess. But do not tarry. You must be anointed in front of Ishani before sundown, or we cannot begin the consecration ceremony.” Ramel nodded politely. “I understand. I just need a few minutes alone with the Goddess. My heart has been feeling quite heavy these days, so I wish to confess my sins to her.” The High Priest acknowledged with a half bow and quietly walked
Sir Galahar and Servius had been preparing for this day ever since they heard about the Flame Demon sighting outside Avondale. The city’s guard towers had been repaired, and the walls fortified with magic. But the threat marching toward the capital was much larger than they had anticipated.What made things worse was the appearance of the Eye of Doom over the city, which caused widespread panic among the masses. People scurried out of the Arcadium like insects, and those out on the streets rushed homeward to seek shelter within the safety of their houses.Ten squads of City Guards were immediately dispatched to man the walls, and the sirens were sounded from the garrison, spurring the snipers into action.The Mech Defenders were ordered to clear the streets and reinforce the gates while the adventurers were tasked with protecting the guild houses.Servius surveyed the undead army through the magic windows and quickly understood their strategy.“This is not a skirmish. They are going
Shocked gasps escaped from the people in the crowd as Ezra revealed who he actually was. The news of the brutal massacre in Aranor had made its way to the capital many weeks ago, and it was common knowledge that the Romanov family had been wiped out.But seeing Ezra standing there as the living proof of his bloodline subverted all past notions.This white-haired boy had once been hailed as a prodigy across Valaria, but his name had quickly faded from their memory after his tragic accident. But it seemed fate still had one last die to throw, and with the final toss, it had restored his fortunes.The only ones in the Arcadium who knew about the masked devil’s identity beforehand were Tanya and her father. Ezra had revealed his secret to them just last night, but it was a complete shocker for everyone else.Even Queen Guinevere and Princess Aleena had been completely clueless about Ezra’s identity up until now, and this unexpected revelation left him speechless.“So…the dragon still lives
The Duke’s shocking confession turned the whole narrative on its head, spreading further panic among the crowd. Not even Ezra had suspected him to be allied with the necromancers.“Is this another trick of yours?” Tanya questioned, still struggling to make sense of the whole situation. It seemed absurd that a high and mighty noble like Duke Carrington would willingly worship Zepheroth and kneel before the necromancers.But the Duke was quick to clear her confusion. “There is no trick in what I say. I do not worship any Gods, but I understand Zepheroth’s powers cannot be matched by mere mortals. We must kneel before him if we are to survive his reign,” he replied.“So you lied to all of us?” Marquis Desmond’s voice boomed from the distance as he marched into the arena, ready to confront the Duke. “We thought you wanted to protect the king and help the people of Magaravia fight this darkness.”“Fight? How can anyone fight a God?” Duke Carrington retorted in a mocking tone. “Are you even
The spectators who had once eagerly supported Ezra now seemed to regard him as the greatest enemy of the kingdom. The sudden change in their behavior shocked him.“How did they believe him so easily?” Ezra asked, unable to believe what had just happened. “Something is not right.”While it was common for the gullible commoners to be duped by the cunning words of the influential nobles, the change seemed to be too drastic this time. The same crowd that had been cheering for Ezra had suddenly changed sides, almost on a whim, and even the other nobles seemed to be siding with the Duke.Marlin was also surprised by this twist. It was as if Duke Carrington had bought their allegiance with a snap of his fingers.Queen Guinevere stood up to reason with the spectators. “Listen to me, good people of Magaravia. Your beloved Duke is lying to you. King Reginald never intended to sell you to the Lord of Decay. While I agree he may not be the bravest, he is certainly not a traitor.”The Queen though
The Spectral Phoenix let out a piercing shriek that carried its voice across the city, dispersing the gray clouds and illuminating the sky with a brilliant golden radiance.Ezra channeled his magic energy outward and boosted his flying speed, breaking away from the phoenix as it surged toward him.“I have never seen a Spectral Phoenix before. These spirits are primal manifestations of the fire element and are regarded as the most challenging ones to tame. Their flames are undying, and if you get touched by its feathers, it will burn you to ash in the blink of an eye,” Marlin cautioned.Ezra continued flying backward, keeping the phoenix in his sights. But he was so focused on the spectral bird that he forgot all about its owner.Duke Carrington took advantage of this distraction and replenished his magic power with a couple of Superior Magic Restoration Potions before warming himself with the phoenix’s Thermal Radiance ability.Finally free from the numbing effects of the frost, Duke C
Duke Carrington fired a round into the sky to celebrate his victory and turned to the crowd expecting a thunderous applause. But instead of being greeted with cheers and shouts of joy, he was met with a stern silence.“What’s wrong with you all? Are you not happy I vanquished that rookie and offered you a glimpse of my true powers?” he yelled at the top of his voice, staring at the mute spectators. “I am the Champion of Valaria, and I promise Magaravia will be safe in my care.”“So, what are we celebrating?” A voice questioned from behind, wiping the smile from Duke Carrington’s face.“Over there!”“He is alive!”The crowd went berserk with shouts and howls as they spied their favorite Gunner flying near the clouds, holding a sniper in his hand.Duke Carrington clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palms, and turned around to face his opponent.“How did you survive that?” He muttered, trying his best to restrain his rage.“I have been stabbed in the back plenty of times before
Duke Carrington’s eyes widened as he heard the accusation. He could already tell his plans had been leaked, but he could not understand how a stranger could know about his ambitions.“Who are you?” he demanded, staring daggers at Ezra. “The dragon of Aranor,” Ezra replied, staring right back.Before either could speak again, a set of stone slabs and pillars shot up from the ground, redecorating the arena with obstacles and separating the two contestants.The crowd erupted with wild cheers as the brass bell was hammered in the commentary tower, declaring the start of the round.“I don’t care who you are, but that mask is coming off today!” Duke Carrington shouted with full-throated fury, unleashing a devastating volley of Disintegration Rounds from his Rapid-Firing Six-shooter.Ezra ran across the arena, moving from cover to cover as the stone slabs in front of him were punched full of holes. “There is no point running from me. You can’t survive!”Duke Carrington reloaded his second g
The next day, Ezra put on his new attire: a fiery red coat with golden yellow stripes and two split tails. His old demonic mask was replaced with a new one sporting two large black horns and blazing red eyes. To complete the look, Ezra added a black bowtie over a clean white shirt and a pair of red trousers trimmed at the bottom, hanging taut over his jet-black boots.Although Ezra hadn’t cared much about his appearance during the other rounds, this time, he combed his hair back, put on a pair of spotless white gloves, and pinned the dragon brooch to his pocket.Holstering his single-shot flintlock on his right hip, Ezra walked up to the mirror and gazed at his reflection.Ezra still remembered staring at his trembling hands in the mirror in the Romanov Mansion. He was treated like a cripple back then and could not even shoot a target lying straight in front of him. But a lot had changed since then.Magaravia knew Ezra as the Red Devil: a formidable sharpshooter who had defeated the b
Back at the Blackwell Mansion, Ezra was busy at his workbench, trying to craft a new kind of enchanted ammunition for his sniper rifle.So far, Ezra had experimented with all the common metal ingots and alloys and even tried infusing magic crystal shards and dragon scales into them, but to no avail.Each time Ezra tried to craft a new enchanted bullet for his weapon, he would end up with something so brittle and volatile that it would disintegrate as soon as he loaded it into the sniper rifle.“The Celestial Avenger is a Legendary weapon. You cannot load such low-quality ammunition in it and expect it to work just fine,” Marlin barked once more, grinding his teeth in frustration. “I already told you that you need rare metals to craft your round. Try titanium or refined zirconium.”Ezra loaded another newly crafted round into his weapon and watched it explode with a loud bang before finally relenting.“Damn it! I don’t have any rare metals at hand!”“Then perhaps you can ask your careta